Folkestone Warren Halt was a station on the South Eastern Main Line of the South Eastern Railway at the beach location known as "The Warren" in the east end of

Folkestone Folkestone ( ) is a port town on the English Channel, in Kent, south-east England. The town lies on the southern edge of the North Downs at a valley between two cliffs. It was an important harbour and shipping port for most of the 19th and 20t ...

, Kent, now within the East Cliff and Warren Country Park.

1886 opening

The station was first opened by the South Eastern Railway in 1886 which installed a bridge over the Main Line leading to a gate on to The Warren from which the public could picnic and enjoy the dramatic scenery in the area; a zig-zag path led down the East Cliff to the station. The Halt enjoyed, however, a brief existence, closing after the Summer in the face of threats by Lord Radnor who felt that his land was being trespassed upon.Kent Rail, "Shakespeare Cliff Halt".
/ref> There is also a suggestion that the station had not been formally authorised by the

Board of Trade The Board of Trade is a British government body concerned with commerce and industry, currently within the Department for International Trade. Its full title is The Lords of the Committee of the Privy Council appointed for the consideration of ...

which, upon discovering its existence, refused to grant consent.

1908 reopening

Warren Halt was reopened 22 years later by the

South Eastern and Chatham Railway The South Eastern and Chatham Railway Companies Joint Management Committee (SE&CRCJMC),Awdry (1990), page 199 known as the South Eastern and Chatham Railway (SE&CR), was a working union of two neighbouring rival railways, the South Easter ...

and remained open until the evening of 19 December 1915 when a large landslip resulted in the entire undercliff supporting the Main Line moving towards the sea causing approximately 1.5 million cubic metres of chalk to slip or fall burying Warren Halt. The railway watchman was able to stop the 6.10pm

Ashford Ashford may refer to: Places Australia *Ashford, New South Wales *Ashford, South Australia *Electoral district of Ashford, South Australia Ireland *Ashford, County Wicklow *Ashford Castle, County Galway United Kingdom * Ashford, Kent, a town ** ...

Dover Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidstone ...

service as it emerged from Martello Tunnel, hauled by D class, no. 493. The station as well as the affected section of the South Eastern Main Line remained closed until 1919. The Warren was a popular picnic spot in Edwardian times and a nearby tea chalet served hundreds of visitors daily. In 1923 the Halt was rebuilt by the Southern Railway which added a set of platforms. The station remained open for a further 16 years before another landslip in 1939. The Halt was, however, kept open as a staff facility until 1971 and a nearby

siding Siding may refer to: * Siding (construction), the outer covering or cladding of a house * Siding (rail) A siding, in rail terminology, is a low-speed track section distinct from a running line or through route such as a main line, branch l ...

subsequently served early

Channel Tunnel The Channel Tunnel (french: Tunnel sous la Manche), also known as the Chunnel, is a railway tunnel that connects Folkestone (Kent, England, UK) with Coquelles ( Hauts-de-France, France) beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover. ...

works.John Law on the Rails, "Another view of the staff halt at Folkestone Warren, 1978. The siding served the Channel Tunnel workings", 18 January 2006.
/ref>

References

External links

British Geological Survey
Historic Landslip images
Network Rail {{coord, 51.0962, 1.2107, type:railwaystation_region:GB, display=title Disused railway stations in Kent Former South Eastern Railway (UK) stations Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1886 Railway stations in Great Britain closed in 1971 1886 establishments in England 1971 disestablishments in England